What started with frustration over paperwork on their own family farms has grown into a livestock management platform now used by thousands of farmers across Ireland and the UK.

farmdrive co-founders Gareth McDonald and Gareth Gordon, both with backgrounds in computer science and generations of farming in their families, set out four years ago to find a simpler way for farmers to manage the information involved in running a livestock enterprise.

Having experienced the challenges of farm admin first-hand, the pair wanted to build a system that could make managing livestock records easier while giving farmers better access to the data they need to make decisions on farm.

Built around the realities of farming

Back in 2022, the co-founders got to work building farmdrive around the problems they were experiencing themselves and the feedback they were hearing from other farmers.

Today, farmdrive can be used across mobile, tablet and desktop, giving farmers access to the information they need whether they are in the office, the yard or out on the farm.

For Co. Antrim farmer Mark Bristow, having that information available on his phone has made a noticeable difference to how he manages his cattle day-to-day.

Mark uses farmdrive for several tasks including checking cattle ages, batching animals and keeping medicine records, as well as managing routine jobs such as worming and dosing throughout the summer.

For him, one of the biggest benefits is being able to access the information he needs without having to return to the farm office.

He said: “Everything’s in the one spot.

Since beginning to use the app three years ago, Mark has found it straightforward and easy to use.

He also values being able to contact the farmdrive team directly when he needs help.

His experience has led him to recommend the platform to other farmers and friends.

Simplifying everyday livestock management

The app brings the different areas of livestock management together in one place, giving farmers access to their records and data wherever they are, 24/7.

Farmers can manage their live herd list and movements, record medicines and treatments, manage breeding and calving information, track weights and animal performance, record feed, use farm maps and create reports.

farmdrive also links with livestock databases including Animal Identification and Movement (AIM), Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System (NIFAIS), the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), and ScotEID, helping keep information and movements up to date.

For compliance and farm assurance, farmers can keep the records they need for schemes including Farm Quality Assurance (FQA), Bord Bia and Red Tractor, together and ready when required.

Multiple people can be added to the same farm account, with individual permissions depending on what they need access to, at no additional cost.

farmdrive also works without wi-fi or mobile signal, allowing records to be entered while out on the farm and synced once a connection becomes available again.

Developing with farmers’ feedback

The platform continues to evolve based on feedback from farmers using it.

In August, farmdrive released its biggest update yet, introducing new tools including treatment courses and reminders, daily liveweight gain and expanded weight statistics, animal performance insights, financial summaries, custom reports and report scheduling.

Farmers can also connect compatible third-party equipment and systems, allowing them to import information they are already collecting.

According to farmdrive, farmers using the platform save an average six hours each week.

Looking ahead

farmdrive is now used by thousands of farmers across Ireland and the UK and is already tracking more than 30% of beef and dairy cattle in Northern Ireland.

The team recently attended the National Ploughing Championships, meeting farmers from across Ireland, demonstrating the latest version of the platform and hearingfirst-hand about the challenges they are facing on their farms.

Sheep management is the next major addition to the app, with a waiting list already open ahead of its expected release in early 2027.

Four years after the idea began with two friends looking for a better way to manage the paperwork on their own farms, the focus remains the same: using technology and farm data to make livestock management easier and give farmers more time to focus on running their businesses.

Farmers can try farmdrive free for 30 days, with no card details required.

The app is available to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.